Aw, Nora…your sweet 16! 16 months, that is. What a busy month we have had! This had probably been one of the hardest months that we have had together. Bless your heart, three new teeth, entirely too much traveling in a car, crazy sleep schedule changes, shuffling about showing the house and packing up our lives box by box… last but not least, you and your Daddy had a bout of the flu. It was terrible. You have gone with the flow so much, but there is only so much a busy 16 month old can take. We have had lots of melt downs this month….both you and me 🙂 Some of those melt downs have come from our busy schedule, but some of them have also come from your “spirited” soul. You have a mind of your own and you make known when there is something you want (or don’t want!). It’s been hard for me to say “No” to you so many times these past few weeks, but together we are learning how to more effectively teach you boundaries and rules. Lots of redirection, praise when you are obedient and bribery with fruit snacks 🙂 We are figuring it out together, and it seems like each day things are getting a little easier.
Let’s get onto some more fun stuff!
Food: You are getting pickier, but what you are picky about changes day to day. There is nothing that you consistently don’t like, so we just go with the flow. You favorites: fruit snacks, strawberries, bananas, grapes, chicken, pizza, strawberry yogurt Cheerios, cookies (any kind) and apple juice. Nora continues to enjoy her milk (about 3 8oz bottles) from a sippy cup and her daily cup of juice to help keep her “regular.” I feel lucky I have such a great eater!
Clothes: Mostly 18-24 months. Some 12-18 month clothes still fit you depending on the brand. You are starting to really lose your baby fat (SOB! SOB! SOB!), so you are really thinning out which makes buying clothes much harder since you are so long and skinny. We most recently have discovered how awesome H&M’s kid’s department is. Whoa. Dang. You are in size 6 diapers because you inherited your father’s large butt. Not my fault.
Toys and Games: Girl, you still love your books. Auntie Ellie got you “Chika Chika Boom Boom” for Christmas and we haven’t put it down since. We still read together for about 2-3 hours a day. You are starting to mimic some of the motions I do when we read and it makes me so happy! One of your other favorite books right now is the Little Golden Book’s “Jingle Bells.” Your a Christmas girl after my own heart.
Words: I think we are finally making some progress with words! You have been a bit stubborn and slow to talk, but I can tell you are trying really hard these days! The words you say now: Mama, Dada, more, done, banana, “Yeah Yeah” (Uncle Jared), “Pop Pop” (Grandpa), yes (pronounced “Yeshhhh!) and no. Just the past few days, you are REALLY trying to sound out and pronounce words. I know that you know EXACTLY what I am asking you to say, because the other day I asked you to say “beans” and you tooted your little booty off, giggled and then tried to give me a high five to celebrate your gas passing. Too smart for your own good.
Sleep: Continued sleep regression this month ( it has made for some long days and longer naps). We had a lot of late nights over the holidays, a couple of time changes, lots of travel time and new teeth. Woof. I’m looking forward to moving to the farm so we can attempt to have some sort of new schedule and get you (and me) well rested again.
New Tricks: You have been so fun and daring this month! You and Daddy have started wresting on our bed before bedtime and you LOVE it! You have become a pro at pushing chairs across the floor to climb to your destination of choice (counters, china hutch, table, etc.) and your such a BIG helper when you help me push boxes around the house 🙂 such a strong girl! You are learning more actions to songs and books, you LOVE to dance to music and you get the most ridiculous smile on your face when you see Little Einsteins or Mickey Mouse come on TV. You enjoy going to visit Great Grandma Mary with Grandma and taking rides on her electric wheelchair in the nursing home and getting apple juice from their kitchen. You are trying so hard to learn how to put shoes on. You get so frustrated because you just can’t quite get it yet, but sliding into Mommy and Daddy’s shoes is a piece of cake! Seriously Nora, your so smart. So, so smart!
This has been a crazy month, my little one. And this next week, we officially make the move to a new state, to a new life, to the farm. So many changes are about to happen to us, and I know that we are going to work through them together, you and me. I am so grateful for our days together and I’m excited to figure out what our new “normal” looks like once we move. I wouldn’t want to figure it out with any one else but you 🙂
Alisha says
So sweet! How is she already 16 months old? Crazy how fast time is going by, I can't believe it!